We usually serve this spicy kani salad when we make yakitori or chicken teriyaki. Anything Japanese is perfect.

If you’re looking for some more Asian recipes to make to go with this salad, check out that linked post for a bunch of ideas.

Spicy Kani Salad Recipe

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Spicy Kani Salad Ingredients:

You can get the full list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

• Cucumber – You could use either a regular or English cucumber.
• Carrots – Smaller carrots work best because they’re easier to cut.
• Imitation crab meat – This is the traditional meat in a kani salad. You could use real crab meat if you wanted, but you won’t get the traditional flavors. Plus, imitation is so much more budget friendly.
• Mayonnaise – Japanese mayo (also known by its brand name, Kewpie mayo) is sweeter than regular mayo. We prefer the Japanese mayonnaise in this, but if you’re using regular mayo, you’ll want to add a little sugar to it.
• Rice wine vinegar – This adds a light acidity to balance the richness of the kani salad dressing. Rice wine vinegar is also called rice vinegar, depending on the brand. They’re just different names for the same product.
• Sriracha – This adds a spice to the dressing, plus it adds a nice color too.
• Seasoning – You need a little salt to balance the dressing. You also need sugar, but only if you’re using American mayo.
• Spicy panko breadcrumbs – This is a nice garnish on top, which we use instead of tobiko (a round, fish roe garnish often found on kani salad).

How To Make Spicy Kani Salad:

Julienne the cucumber into thin strips using a sharp knife.

Quick note: Julienne cuts are also known as a matchstick cut because the pieces are cut about the size of matchsticks.

Put the cut cucumber pieces into a large bowl.

Peel the carrots, then julienne them to be the same size as the cucumber pieces.

Add them to the bowl as well.

Yes, it’s a bit of work to cut the vegetables that small, but it’s worth it.

Use a fork to shred the imitation crab meat sticks.

You want the crab to be shredded and irregularly cut. It’s easiest to do this with a fork.

If you don’t want to shred it, you could buy the flaky imitation crab meat, but I like the balance better when it’s shredded. That’s just a personal preference, though.

Add the shredded imitation crab meat to the bowl with the veggies.

In a small bowl, add the mayo.

If you’re not using Kewpie mayo, you’ll also want to add some sugar. Kewpie mayo is sweeter and tangier than American mayo, so you need to add that sweetness back.

Although, if we’re being honest, if you’ve never had this at a Japanese restaurant, you won’t notice a difference with your mayo choice.

Add the sriracha and salt.

Stir until the mayo dressing is combined.

Small aside: Taste the dressing now. It’s going to mellow out a little when it combines with the vegetables, so keep that in mind. If it’s too spicy, though, you can add a little more mayo to tame the spice.

Pour the mayo dressing over the vegetables and crab.

Stir until everything is combined.

Quick note: You can try to stir it all with a spoon, but I actually find it easier to toss with a pair of tongs.

Add in the spicy panko breadcrumbs and stir again.

When you’re serving, you’ll want to add a sprinkle of the spicy panko on top. You can also add white or black sesame seeds or tobiko as garnish.

Spicy Kani Salad: Frequently Asked Questions

More Uses For Imitation Crab Sticks:

If you bought too many packs of imitation crab sticks and you’re wondering how to use up the rest, we also use these in our air fryer crab rangoon recipe. Sure, you can use real crab meat in that recipe, but it’s more affordable to use the imitation crab sticks.

It’s also really good in our spicy air fryer imitation crab bites, which are a really crunchy sweet and spicy snack.